Help! I can't lose weight.

AlyseaMeow · November 2018

Hi all.
I'm hoping that I can get some answers here cause I've run out of ideas and hope!

I've been trying to lose weight for 7 weeks now. I go to the gym before and after work every day having a rest day once a week, if that. I do a mix of cardio and weights. I started off by doing a lot of weights but found that I was putting on muscle really quickly while still not losing inches so I've backed off the weights a bit and mainly focus on cardio.
I burn between 800-1200 a day just from going to the gym.
For breakfast I have a protien shake and for lunch I'll have something with protien (mostly chicken and broccoli or spinach and capsicum)
then I'll fast until breakfast again.
After 7 weeks I have still not budged the scale and I haven't even lost inches!
I've been to the doctor who couldn't give me any explanation or tips apart from to keep going but I feel after nearly 2 months and all the hard work I've put I should at least be seeing some results, right?

Please if you have any ideas on what i can do next. I'm about to lose motivation and I have no idea what I'm doing wrong.

nstock · November 2018

You need to eat. You’re body needs fuel especially burning 800-1200 calories a day. Being in a deficit is good, but if you’re eating approx 600-700 calories a day, that’s not good. Eat more food, and you’ll see results!

Also, what are your stats? Age, height, weight and what your goal is.

AlyseaMeow · November 2018

Thank you for your feedback. I'll definitely try to eat more. I put on weight very easily and have been worried that if I ate too much more I'll just put on more and never get anywhere.
I'm 23 years old. 72kgs and 173cm. my BMI is 24 which is not bad but it's too close to being overweight that if I don't do anything now I'll end up obese.
my goal is between 60-65kg

elisa123gal · November 2018

You're doing too much and your body is in a holding pattern. Eat more.. exercise less ... balance.. Don't shock your body into a survival mode. Most on here preach CICO.. if that were the case. you'd be losing. You've stalled your metabolism by working out too much and eating too few calories.

nstock · November 2018

AlyseaMeow wrote: »

Thank you for your feedback. I'll definitely try to eat more. I put on weight very easily and have been worried that if I ate too much more I'll just put on more and never get anywhere.
I'm 23 years old. 72kgs and 173cm. my BMI is 24 which is not bad but it's too close to being overweight that if I don't do anything now I'll end up obese.
my goal is between 60-65kg

I think you are getting a little ahead of yourself. You seem to be at a very healthy weight for your height. You’re body is just trying to survive at this point because you are starving it. With so little weight to lose, it is going to have to come off very slowly (like .5lbs/week). Put your stats into MFP and follow it, and I’m sure you’ll start seeing some results.

It seems like you are healthy but just fear obesity. If you stay active and eating healthy, you will not become obese. Work on healthy habits that you can stick to as a lifestyle.

AnvilHead · November 2018

elisa123gal wrote: »

You're doing too much and your body is in a holding pattern. Eat more.. exercise less ... balance.. Don't shock your body into a survival mode. Most on here preach CICO.. if that were the case. you'd be losing. You've stalled your metabolism by working out too much and eating too few calories.

^ Ignore this, it’s completely fictitious. There is no such thing as “survival mode”. And there’s no such thing as “stalling your metabolism”.

Here is a thorough, detailed discussion of every possible reason you're not losing weight, and exactly what to do about it: https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/why-am-i-not-losing-weight/

kami3006 · November 2018

Take a step back and read Anvil's link. Then put your stats in MFP, set it to lose a half pound a week. Log all of your food accurately and track your exercise calories to add in and eat to fuel all your activity. You should be hitting your net calories every day. Hitting the gym twice a day is not necessary. Then give it a good four weeks before you make changes.

Having such little to lose means it will be slow. It's often masked by normal water weight fluctuations so you may not see the scale move each week. For me it was every three weeks.

It's also not surprising to not see the scale move when you've started or increased exercise as our bodies hold onto water in order to repair our muscles. The scale can even go up because of this. It takes time to even back out.

Also, just to clear this point up. It is very difficult to build muscle especially for women. Under optimal diet, a calorie surplus and optimal training, women can expect to gain about a quarter of a pound of muscle a week. Usually when people feel like they've put on a lot of muscle, it's because they have either lost some fat so their muscle is showing more or they're retaining water from the exercise and their muscle look a bit fuller. Can also be both of those.

You're at a normal bmi so there's no reason to feel like all is lost. It's a lot to figure out and there is a learning curve. You'll get there, but you have to be consistent, patient and have reasonable expectations.

Help! I can't lose weight.

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